Display-card.



MNR. woon. 4DISPLAY CARD. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3. 1915.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

/A/ro slang Br Vif A TRIVEYS MILTON RUSLING WOOD, OF EAST ORANGE, NEWJERSEY.

DISPLAY-CARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. '7, 1917.

t Application led September 3, 1915. Serial No. 48,9531.

Display-Cards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to display cards, for instance those used foradvertising purposes' and adapted to be held in substantially verticalpositions by means of selfcontained braces or easels.

These cards are usually made of paper board of a minimum weight,according to the sizes of the cards, in order to minimize the cost ofmanufacture and of transportation to the points of use.

I/Vith the conventional weights I have found that the paper board has atendency to warp or curl, especially at the corners, or to sag by itsown weight when the cards are displayed in the usual flat form, and itwas in order to overcome this tendency to distortion that my inventionwas conceived.

Further, if of relatively great length, the cards are frequently foldedfor packing and shipping and, when placed on display, have a tendency tobend at the line of folding, thus destroying the effect of the matterdisplayed thereon, and my invention likewise overcomes this tendency.

My invention is fully described in the following specification, of whichthe accompanying drawings form a part, in which like characters refer tolike parts in each ofl the views, and in which Figure l is a side viewof a display card provided with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 but with the upperhalf folded over the lower half and my invention inoperative.

In the drawings forming a part of this application I have shown a sheet4 of pasteboard or the like, of any desired form, adapted to carrydisplay matter on the front thereof, an easel being provided thereforconsisting of a sheet of pasteboard 5 pasted or otherwise secured to theback thereof and adapted to be folded on a line 6 thereof against theboard 4 for storage or shipping, and perpendicular to said board whenthe card is to be displayed, this being of old and well knownconstruction; the line 6 is preferably on the central vertical line ofthe card or board 4 and may be provided with a foldable leaf member 7 toserve as a brace for maintaining the easel member in supportingposition, as shown in Fig. 2.

The card 4 is usually supplied in flat form and is intended to be sodisplayed but, as stated, the weight of the upper end thereof, as wellas the climatic variations, causes the board or card 4 to sag,especially at the upper corners thereof, thereby destroying the effectof if not entirely concealing the display matter on the front thereof.

I have found by experiment that if the card 4 be flexed in a horizontalplane whereby the card is bent on a plurality of vertical lines toproduce a curve therein this tendency is prevented and the card remainsin initial form indefinitely, regardless of climatic changes.

To obtain the best results I have found that this curvature should existfor the full width of the card and I have, therefore, provided a lengthof cord 8, or equivalent, which I secure at the side edges of the card 4and engage with the rear of the easel member 5 when the latter is inoperative position; this curves the card 4 in the manner of a bow, asclearly shown in Fig. 2, and the distortion incident to the usual flatcard is avoided.

I prefer to make the cord S of such length' as to permit flattening ofthe card 4 without disconnecting the cord ends therefrom, in other wordsthe cord is of a length greater than the distance between the points ofconnection thereof with the card when the latter is flattened; I prefer,also, to pass the cord through an opening 9 in the easel member 5, aneyelet being provided to protect said opening in the sliding of the cordtherein, if desired, and it will be seen that the easel member may bemoved into or out of operative position without disturbing theconnection of the cord with the card 4, thus rendering the card readyfor instant display without the need for instructing the more or lessintelligent persons placing the cards on display as to the intent orresult of the cord 8.

With large cards, as shown, the easel member is not secured thereto forthe full height thereof, thereby permitting the folding of the card 4 ason a line 10 for shipment or storage, and when the two members of thecard are unfolded and the easel moved into operative position, theflexing of the card by means of the cord 8 overcomes any tendency of thecard to bend on the line 10 and, in fact, smooths out any Wrinkles inthe front of said card Which had been caused by folding the same.

The degree of flexing of the card l is exaggerated in the drawings, as arelatively slight displacement from the flat form is sufficient and toogreat a degree of fleXure would tend to distort the display matter or toconceal a portion thereof' from one point of observation thereof, theradius of the curve being gaged according to the sizes of the cards andthe Weight-s of the materials employed.

Myinvention is very simple though of great advantage for the purposesstated and, While I have devoted myself to the produc-y tion of displaymatter for many years, I have neverl encountered any means foraccomplishing the desired results, although I am aware that cards havebeen held in segmental or cylindrical shape Where the nature of thedisplay required it, but not With the easel for supporting the means forcard flexing to overcome warping or distortion of the card.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

A display card, a cord connected at its ends with the edges of saidcard, and an easel for maintaining said card in display position and fortautening said cord to flex said card to prevent distortion thereof,said easel being provided with an opening for said cord to maintain thelatter in permanent connection therewith.

In. testimony WhereotI I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of tvvo subscribing Witnesses.

MILTON RUsLINe Woon.

Witnesses:

J. LEVY, L. S. GOODMAN.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for ve cents each, by-:addressing` the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

